Preparing For The Worst
Filed under: Sad Sad
New Orleans and the Gulf Coast are bracing themselves for the potentially very dangerous win and water of hurricane Gustav.
Evacuations have been ordered.
If you haven't left the evacuation zones yet, please leave!
Our thoughts go out to everyone. We really really really hope this doesn't turn out as badly as hurricane Katrina.
[Image via WENN.]
Posted: August 31, 2008 at 4:43 pm
Oh please not another Katrina!
My heart is with you guys!
:(
I feel bad for all the people of New Orleans. Hopefully everything will turn out fine.
i live in ocean springs mississippi and we stayed through katrina and we are staying through this one.
we were safe in that one so we believe we will be safe in this one.
John McCain is going to use the disaster to try and score political points.
Please be kinder to your neighbors this time around, don't use disaster as an excuse to rob people and act a fool.
I live in Gulfport, MS and at least on our end, things should be fine. Sucks for New Orleans, though. The only thing that I'm wondering is if it'll be like Katrina and nobody from MS will really hear anything on the news ’cause they're too busy talking about NO. We'll see.
I left yesterday, its the worst feeling to have to decide in a few hours what are the most important things to take because you don't know when or if you can come back. Or what you're going to come back to. I'm so nervous and depressed about this - new orleans was finally getting back into shape. It's not fair…it's really such a special city that's so full of character. Everyone please hope and pray that it doesn't flood as badly as 3 years ago. xo
I pray for the great people of New Orleans. Such an awesome city
When will our government decide that the people of New Orleans deserve levees that can withstand storms such as Katrina and Gustov? God bless the city from which I hail and will always love….from afar.
Take care everyone and God bless.
Love,
Frusciante
XOXO
This might actually be a chance for Bush to "redeem" himself, I bet he can't wait!!!
oh my. my prayers and best of luck with them!! hope this isn't overly devistating =[ some people are still trying to get their lives back together over there from the mess katrina made 4 years ago!
Its difficult for me to feel bad for these people that choose to live in the paths of hurricanes fully knowing they occur yearly.
However, I must say please DO NOT move here to Colorado!! We already have way too many transplanters here and we don't need anymore people moving here raising our crime rates, clogging our highways, driving like idiots, and living off the system. BTW I hear Texas and California are excellent places to live.
Thanks, Perez. The fact that you posted something about Gustav and us New Orleanians makes me smile :] It's great to know that you care!
Re: crazzy – I heard that!
i hope everybody is going to be okay
NO was not the only city effected by katrina.. look at slidel, waveland, bay st. louis, gulfport, biloxi and ocean springs.. all were effected by katrina because of its wind and rain… NO was effected by weak levies.
Re: crazzy – Honestly, what is your problem? I was born in New Orleans and I am 16 years old, still a minor. I don't choose to live in New Orleans, I have to. But if I had the choice to move, I wouldn't. If you lived in New Orleans you would know why people stay here year after year fully aware that we are in danger of these storms. New Orleans is such an amazing city full of life and spirit that few other cities could ever compare to.
Your generalizations about people from New Orleans are completely unnecessary. Do not go ranting on about raising crime rates and such unless you know fully what you are talking about. BTW, I'm sure that many people would rather move to Texas or California.
Re: sarahnola – "BTW, I'm sure that many people would rather move to Texas or California." *instead of Colorado*
I live in Southwest, Louisiana. We are evacuating in a few hours. I know that Hurricane Katrina was a nightmare. It was devastating to Louisiana and Mississippi. What I don't understand is how no one mentions Hurricane Rita. Hurricane Rita was devastating to the area I live in. We lost the roof on our house and our home was flooded. My brother lost his home. It was BAD here. But, no one EVER mentions it.
Good Luck to all my Fellow Louisianaians. Good luck to Missisippi. Be Safe!
crazzy, I guess I can see where you're coming from. but I think it's unfair of you to say that, because I don't think you have any idea what we're like. we don't continue living here because we're just stupid or stubborn; we love it here. I can't imagine any deeper feeling of home than what I have here. people who have never lived in Louisiana don't know what it's like to live here, and so they can't understand why we don't just leave. but Louisiana has beautiful nature, wonderful people, a culture that is unlike anything else, and this incredible sense of camaraderie among everyone that lives here. hurricanes are just part of the package, and you learn to live with it. everyone has disasters: california has earthquakes and forest fires, the midwest has tornados, the north has blizzards. it's not enough incentive for us to leave the place we love and feel so strongly rooted too
I was born and raised– and still live in– Baton Rouge. the storm is coming right for us (more so than it is for New Orleans, which nobody really mentions), and we live right underneath a giant dead oak tree that loses we've got all our supplies. we're scared, but we're going to make it through this. Gustav can kiss my ass.
Re: sarahnola –
thank you!
represent Louisiana, babe!
did you evacuate, or are you riding it out at home?
Oh god I hop this isn't another Katrina!
Good luck to everyone!
The world willbe thinking of you.
Re: breezwayglitter – the history here in the south is amazing. you just cant leave it.
and plus hurricanes arent constent. you usually get a year or two break between big ones.
Re: sarahnola – TOTALLY AGREE WITH YOU!
I want to ask "crazzy" have you ever even been to new orleans? How can you judge people so easily. If you insult the people of new orleans about why they live there you can ask the same question about hundreds of locations around the world that are vulnerable to nature's harsh weather conditions. You should really choose your words more carefully and be more sensitive when a huge number of people are already full of anxiety and distress over this. It's people like you, so jaded and cynical, that make needy populations even more doubtfull, suspicious and segregated from everyone else. Which diminishes their chances of rehabilitation. You and your atitude about this subjbect are part of the bigger problem.
Re: crazzy –
how can you tell that all of Colorado's problems are from victims of Katrina/Rita?
you have no right to complain about anything. go talk to someone from Lake Charles or Grand Isle or anywhere in southern Louisiana and see how much sympathy they have for you. MAYBE if you lived in Baton Rouge or somewhere else that had a HUGE population surge after Katrina, then you could complain. but none of us want to here you talk about the struggles of living with a few bad seeds in poor, landlocked Colorado.
Re: crazzy – are u serious? PPL stay because it is a great place to live. I went there 4 years ago when i was 14 and i loved it. the culture is amazing and there are many communities with amazing ppl.
i have family in New Orleans and my grandfather is coming to stay with us in Los Angeles until he can go back home. He had to rebuild his home last time and we hope it doesnt need to be rebuilt again
Re: allisonpaige –
you're totally right– leaving Louisiana is WAY easier said than done.
all it takes is a week away for me to be sooo homesick for trees and Tony's and humidity and people that actually apologize when they run into you.
Re: crazzy – How immature of you to make a comment such as that. Only the ignorant would think that natural disasters could not occur in any state, city or country. Let's just hope that nothing happens to you and evacuation is your only option. I am sure that nobody would complain that their state doesn't want ignorant snowball throwing, high altitude living, snow chain using transplants evacuating to their state. Get your head out of your butt and realize that as world citizens, we are responsible for assisting each other in times of need. I am so happy that ignorance and stupidity are not communicable diseases.
You would have to be a complete moron to live where hurricanes occur YEARLY and expect the government to bail your stupid asses out each time…I mean really.
Move elsewhere!!
RE: sarahnola - Although I have never been to New Orleans, and I can only assume its a beautiful city rich in culture, I just don't understand why people would continue to live in harms way especially after the disaster that Katrina was and the seemingly lack of concern you folks received from the government and FEMA.
I also can understand the love of ones hometown thats why I'm so protective of mine. In the last few decades I've seen my state deteriorate and from the news reports more often than not the crime being commited is from someone that moved here from somewhere else. I'm not saying its happening from only New Orleans folks but from a wide range of people with different backgrounds from many states.
Your comment about people would rather move to Texas and California is not correct because those are the people that have moved out here far more than any other state. At the risk of sounding like a hypocrite I do wish you all the best and I do care I just don't want anymore people moving here to Colorado.
Re: oldtiredqueen –
wow, you're sensitive.
because, you know, it's not difficult at all to leave the only place you call home.
and it's totally not devastating whatsoever to have you home destroyed by something that you have absolutely no control over.
you are just a doll.
If you all didn't know, this storm is predicted to be worse than Katrina. For Katrina we got the western part of the storm (weaker side) and for Gustav we are getting the east side of the storm. I don't know if you all heard our mayor Ray Nagin warn everyone, but this storm is going to do so much damage. Whoever you are "CRAZZY", I guess you don't know what it feels like to loose everything you have worked for your whole life. I live in Metairie, La which is about 10 minutes from N.O. and I still do not have a house. It has been three years and I still have an empty lot. No matter which part of the country you live in, mother nature can always take over. There are earthquakes in Cali, Tornadoes in the mid west, and hurricanes in the south and east coast. You must not be a very intelligent and a very selfish person to make a comment like you did. I am in Dallas, TX right now and have to watch all of this unfold on the news and have no idea what is going to happen to the home I live in now. Thanks to everyone for your thoughts and prayers and to all my fellow New Orleanians, I hope you all are okay! We will make it through stronger and come out stronger than ever!
Re: crazzy –
we keep living here for all the same reasons that people keep living in Kansas when there's a tornado coming up their street every other weekend, the same reasons that Californians keep coming back after every forest fire that drives them out, the same reason that you keep living in Colorado even though you probably spend half of your winter knee-deep in snow with your doors frozen shut and ice in your pants– this is our HOME.
like I said, you would get it if you lived here.
Re: jessnola – Re: jessnola –
ohhh, Metairie, that sucks. I feel for you.
best of luck! I'll be praying, and I'm sure a whole lot of people are too.
we are definitely getting the dirty side of this storm, though, so it's not going to be pretty. but we're going to make it. we've already proved that we can get through some terrible stuff.
I'm staying put here in north west Fl…hurricane parties are great.
My thoughts and prayers go to everyone down here. I'm truly and genuinely hoping for the absolute best. Good luck Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas. Be safe, everyone. We fought this off once; we can do it again.
Re: oldtiredqueen – You are doing a huge disservice to the HUGE prosperous gay community that resides in new orleans and the greater new orleans area. In fact - this weekend was "southern decadence" it's one of the largest gay pride event and festival in the U.S. They had to cancel all their plans and flee including all the faithfull tourists that visit every year for this event. How pathetic and said that you take jabs at people when they are already down. You are a coward and should be ashamed. Let's see how you can take it if there is any misfortune in your life. Good luck with your awful atitude in your life. Noone will help you when you need it and everyone needs help sometimes. Why don't you move you fucking fascist!
Re: jessnola – I know natural disasters occur everywhere in the world, out here we have our occasional blizzard but it doesn't wipe out everything we own and I don't live in the part of Colorado considered to be apart of tornado alley. No I don't know what its like to lose everything I own but I know I wouldn't live somewhere where there is that risk. I'm sorry you have lost everything but please don't assume I'm selfish because I'm far from it or that I 'must not be a very intelligent' because that is also incorrect.
God bless our NOLA friends. I hope the only city residents reading these comments are on a laptop or at someone's house FAR away from the city. Mother Nature humbles us all.
Re: oldtiredqueen – Someone had a rough childhood.
Kinda makes you wonder why they are rebuilding….
To all of you that are still in Mississippi, my prayers are with you. I left Keesler Air Force Base with my son on Thursday morning, but my husband, unfortunately, had to stay on base. Hopefully it will die out and not be as catastrophic as Katrina was. Once again, all of you that are still there, my prayers are with you, and to everyone else, please pray for the families and individuals still there.
Get the hell out of there!
Re: crazzy – What would you suggest? That all of the border states become permanently abandoned, because there MAY be a threat of hurricanes? Well, then…what about the states that may be susceptible to tornadoes, flash flooding, and earthquakes? What would you have those people do…and, where should they go?
They are saying it is supposed to be worse than Katrina. My sister and her husband left this morning at 6:30 AM and by 1:00 PM they were barely 60 miles outside of New Orleans. Hopefully traffic will let up and evacuations can start to go more smoothly. Pray for the gulf coast!
Re: crazzy –
You are obviously starving for attention. No normal person would make a comment like this without hoping that they would get reactions from multiple people. Negative comments when an entire state is under a "state of emergency" is real nice. I am from Houston and go to school in Baton Rouge and somehow I have a pretty good feeling that both of these areas got more people from New Orleans than the entire state of Colorado after Katrina. You obviously only know that facts about your state so maybe you should refrain from making ignorant comments and making yourself look like a complete ass.
My prayers go out to all of the evacuees….but, I am more concerned that the abuses, which happened during Katrina, don't occur, again. I am talking about the pedophiles who zeroed in on the abandoned/orphaned kids, the abandoned pets, the elderly/bed-ridden who were not helped, etc.
Here we go again. God I hope all the people took the advice and got the HELL out of town!
Unfortunate but expected as well. They should not have put so much monies into rebuilding a town that located on a coastline and *below sea level*. Another hurricane was inevitable. The monies would have been better spent relocating the town not rebuilding in the same bad location. It goes against common sense.
Their evacuating! FREE SHIT! Their evacuating quicker than a room full of 12 year old boys in hilton's bedroom!.
Re: breezwayglitter – Well said! You represent Louisiana well! Good luck to everyone in Louisiana and Mississippi! I love our state, our people, our music, and certainly our food and I am praying we don't have another Katrina/ Rita
I just want to go back to school and everything to be normal. At least LSU won yesterday!!
Re: crazzy – we have hurricanes here in the south and east coast… califorina and the west have mudslides and earthquakes.. tornado alley well you guessed it. has tornados.. and up north it floods and snows…
why would you leave somewhere you love because of something weather… you dont live here because of the hurricanes and i dont live in colorado because ive never seen snow.
Re: TORTEZ – agreed. i just got back from a hurricane party
Re: crazzy – youre an asshole
Note to our next president: what about our gulf coastal regions? If you look at a map of the coast in 1950 compared to today, you will see what I mean. Louisiana has lost 1500 square miles of its coast in the past 50 years, meaning Louisiana is shrinking! We need to rebuild/restore our coast and BUILD BETTER LEVEES!! Louisiana, especially New Orleans is so rich in history and culture, why abandon it? Yes, the hurricanes will keep coming, but we should look into ways of how we can better protect our state, our people, and our cities. Nothing can stop a hurricane, but we need to be better prepared. I am thankful that things are running a bit smoother as far as evacuating people, and traffic (at least in Baton Rouge) is not as bad as when Katrina came through. I think Jindal's doing a good job. Anyone agree?
instead of bush and his administration pumping so much money into a pointless war in iraq blowing up innocent peasants and children - they should have used that 12 billion a year on fixing those levees and helping rebuilt and SECURE new orleans one of the OLDEST cities in the united states that BY THE WAY - IS SUCH AN IMPORTANT CONTRIBUTOR TO U.S. ECONOMY - THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER PROVIDES OIL - so do your research all those who say that new orleans should cease to exist. Maybe if everyone would recycle, stop polluting as much, stop using non degradable PLASTIC and making global warming a worse problem every year - these hurricanes wouldn't get so damn strong and big in the warmer waters. We need to respect and care for this planet that we all live in. We are all accountable.
Re: breezwayglitter – I'm staying at home. We live in Covington and we have 2 other families at my house.
Re: crazzy – Thank you for your apology- I guess you could call it that? But what got to me was your generalizations because many people take extreme offense to that. If you had chose to specify things more maybe I would have taken it differently. People need to watch what they say, especially at times like this. Everyone here is extremely high strung right now and we don't need people saying offensive things towards our city or it's residents.
Every part of the country has their own threats of nature, just like breezwayglitter said. I'm not going to pack up and move to another part of the country just because I don't like the impending possibility of hurricanes in Louisiana, because if I moved to California I would have the impending threat of wildfires. There is no perfect place to live and we all have to take the good with the bad. New Orleans is an important part of who I am and I love the city with all my heart and I wouldn't give it up for anything.
Re: LSUlady – I can appreciate your beliefs and concerns…and, my prayers are with you. I would like to ask you though….do you honestly think that a man-made levee can hold against a 150mph hurricane? I just did a cursory search, on wiki, concerning levees…and, from what I found, it sounds like it would just be a waste of government money, man power and hope. From what I have read, man-made levees can cause more harm than good.
I don't live anywhere near Louisiana, but, I would appreciate your thoughts.
Re: sarahnola – Per your #62 comment….
You are SO correct. Every area has their own threat. I live in Wisconsin and, last Winter, we had so much snow, that I had nowhere else to put it, by February (it was already piled up to the roof of my garage, and I only shoveled my driveway and small footpath, to the garage). Then, we had to deal with the drought, which affects our cranberry bogs and farms.
I, also, travel quite a bit to California. You bet your sweet ass, that it is not as pleasant out there, that most people like to believe. They have the Santa Ana winds (my brothers entire backyard gazebo and hot tub was irreparably damaged by it), the wildfires, the earthquakes, etc. I would mention everything else that is wrong with California, but that doesn't fall under 'acts of nature'. LOL
I don't blame you for not giving up on New Orleans (I am hoping to make it there, one day)…but, PLEASE, do whatever you can to stay safe. I wish you well.
Re: Anonymous – I appreciate your thoughts on this, and don't get me wrong, I'm no engineer. But I did say that nothing can stop a hurricane. Those levees (i-walls) broke because they were a bad design and were not maintained properly. I don't see how building better levees will do nothing for New Orleans. New Orleans is a city of great economic importance and so I think in the long run, building stronger levees will pay off. However, as I mentioned before, our coast is getting washed away. We pretty much have no more barrier islands which in the past, hurricanes hit them and they would cause the hurricane to slow down a bit. Without that land there, hurricanes hit the mainland really strong. I'm not saying to build man-made structures here, that would just sink probably…something more along the lines of plants, dirt, trees to build up the land which used to protect. But I could be wrong…. I've actually been down to the gulf coast because my dad is from there. Land that used to be pure pasture is now pretty much under water. There are a lot of good ideas out there to fix this…just not enough money. I wish politicians wouldn't skirt around this problem like they do sometimes.
I'm amazed at how readily some people propose to abandon New Orleans altogether. It's abandoning history, culture, tradition and great heritage. It's so easy to generalized and pass judgement on things you have no clue about. I can't help but to think " Where's the humanity?" . Or are you people animals? I'm in baton rouge and am sending my thoughts to any affected by Gustav. One love.
God be with the people of New Orleans
And I also think Jindal is doing a good job getting us prepared.
So, I don't think my last few comments appeared…maybe I can't post links, I didn't really read the agreement thing when I created my account. So anyways, google Science Daily - when the levees fail. this basically backs up what I've been saying about the gulf coast. And don't trust wikipedia all the time because the people writing those articles may not have engineering or science backgrounds. Just saying. But it's raining here, I'm getting nervous, I've got a full house of evacuees to tend too (some of which are young and fighting constantly :p ).
Another thing I want to say, is THANK YOU to anyone who has volunteered for Katrina and Rita and for those of you planning to volunteer your help for the aftermath of Gustav, God bless you and thank you for giving yourself to help the lives of others!!!!
WHY DID THEY REBUILD IN THE FIRST PLACE???? its in a bad spot & IS going to get hit with MANY MANY MANY MORE STORMS in the future. stop spending so much money rebuilding this city.
Re: Kate1988 – I mean this in the nicest way possible- fuck you! I assume you've never been to New Orleans, that's why you're being so ignorant.
Re: crazzy – NOT ANYMORE!! They raised the crime rate in TEXAS TOO!!! GET YOUR FAMILY AND GO……WE DONT WANT YOU AND YOUR FREELOADERS HERE ANYMORE. It's not enough that we pay for all your government cheese? GO AWAY!!!!!!!
Re: n. – Good! Maybe some nigs living off the system will die and give us a break!! FUCK!!!! God is telling you assholes something….LISTEN! And, it's not….."loot some more" or Let's move somewhere else and terrorize and deal" …..
TO EVERYONE SAYING THAT NEW ORLEANS SHOULD NOT BE REBUILT.
I SAY THIS OUT OF FRUSTRATION, SADNESS and ANGER
FUCK YOU.
I am born and raised in New Orleans and it still astounds me that people the audacity to say such things. Everyone in America would feel the devastation of losing one of America's greatest cities. Not just in its amazing soul and culture, but also in its other riches like oil, sugar cane, tobacco and port location. With your logic San Francisco, other parts of california, new york city and several other cities should all be abandoned. This could all be prevented if the proper funding, construction and concern was given to rebuilding the levees and wetlands.
OMG W3'R3 GUNA D!3 OHNOOOOOOEEEEEEEEEEEEESSSSSSSSSSS!
No flaming. I'm actually from Mississippi (the place where Katrina actually hit. New Orleans is just an attention hog, considering the only reason anything happened to them is because their levys broke, which seems to make sense since they haven't been repaired in some 20 odd years), and people are completely freaking out. seriously. it's almost laughable. especially since the path is so far off from us that we'll get wind and rain, and that's it.
It's not another Katrina. The media just doesn't know how to spin it any other way.
Re: LSUlady – I thank you for your response. Whether you are black, white, purple, green…..Catholic, Protestant, Jewish….Republican Democrat, Independent….if you are transported up this far North (I am in Wisconsin)…let me know. I have a spare room, that you can use, until New Orleans is rebuilt.
Keep faith, darlin'.
Prayers for those of you who take this seriously, and also prayers for those who stay behind to loot and cause problems. Take care.
Re: vamonticello – you are a moron.
Re: Kate1988 – lets say they dont rebuild. what do you suggest the thousands and thousands of ppl do? as you know (atleast you should know) the united states does not have enough land to build new homes in different states for all of those who lose their houses and other property in hurricanes. we live in a country that is over populated and if we were to abandon every city that is hit by hurricanes every state will become even more over populated.
Re: crazzy – i lived in new orleans and now i have to live across the lake in mandeville, it happened my freshmen year of highschool and i had to leave and make new friends. now this is happening again right now and am sitting at my house waiting to see in i am going to be under water all over again. i am stuck in a 3 bedroom 3 bathroom house sharing with 28 memebers of my family because we cant afford to get a hotel because we lost everything in katrina. so next time you think of saying something selfish and inconsiderate of others remember there are those that are suffering. by the way i lived in new orleans all my life so honey you have no idea what real crime is like. really you are too ignorant to know what your talking about for everyone else along the gulf coast i wish you luck and best
Re: ChivasFanGirl – Ha! I remember being stuck in Tennessee watching the news to hear SOMETHING about Mississippi and all they ever talked about was New Orleans.
Not that NO didn't need to be covered, I just wish they'd have balanced out their coverage with Mississippi some, too..
I live in Baton Rouge, La. and we're staying. We don't have a choice. Besides, the only thing we have to worry about is wind damage or flying debris. No flooding here….shouldn't have flooding anyway.
lol I guess we'll see.
I'm more worried about losing electricity. During Katrina we lost power and didn't get it back for 5 days! We had to stay with the grandparents who live only a mile away, but yet got their power back the next day after Katrina. What's up with that? Oh I know…its because they live in a wealthy area. Help the rich ppl, forget about the poor. BASTARDS!
I'm bracing myself for this one. I'm staying up all night. It should be fun! I just feel for the ppl in Morgan City and Lafayette!
New Orleans has always been on my places to see list. The culture, people, music and fantstic history really appeales to me. I really sad so watch what Katrina did. Best wishes to everyone, you are in my thoughts.
Love from Norway.
Hey. I'm between BR and NOLA. right now things are fine for us. We had the lower part of our parish mandatory evacuated, but thankfully, that's not me. Anyway, thank you guys all for sending your kind thoughts and words our way.
As for the person who said he/she had no sympathy for us who choose to live here, do you have sympathy for people who choose to live in California where they have earthquakes? What about where they have killer tidal waves? Everywhere you live on Earth has its potential to be bad. South Louisiana is beautiful and full of beautiful people. Don't judge us because you've met your share of crappy people. After Katrina, I worked in a shelter and I met some of the best people I've ever encountered and some of the worse, likewise. New Orleans is a town full of beautifully rich art, wonderful history, artists and musicians that the world would love to hear, and it has a spirit that will NEVER be broken by ANY storm. The people of south LA are strong, wonderful people. We have criminals just like anywhere else does. Just don't assume we all are.
Re: crazzy –
Hey. I'm between BR and NOLA. right now things are fine for us. We had the lower part of our parish mandatory evacuated, but thankfully, that's not me. Anyway, thank you guys all for sending your kind thoughts and words our way.
As for the person who said he/she had no sympathy for us who choose to live here, do you have sympathy for people who choose to live in California where they have earthquakes? What about where they have killer tidal waves? Everywhere you live on Earth has its potential to be bad. South Louisiana is beautiful and full of beautiful people. Don't judge us because you've met your share of crappy people. After Katrina, I worked in a shelter and I met some of the best people I've ever encountered and some of the worse, likewise. New Orleans is a town full of beautifully rich art, wonderful history, artists and musicians that the world would love to hear, and it has a spirit that will NEVER be broken by ANY storm. The people of south LA are strong, wonderful people. We have criminals just like anywhere else does. Just don't assume we all are.
Re: LSUlady –
I think Jindal is doing a supreme job. I was surprised how well things were going, actually.
Re: Kate1988 – I suppose you think places in Thailand should not be rebuilt, too, right? Think before you speak.
Yes, plz leaaaavvvvve and be safe!! And get all the pets/animals out!! We don't need another Katrina. Too many stupid, lazy people sitting around 3 years ago. At least NO learned its mistakes from Katrina!!
Re: crazzy – HA! You think we didnt get PLENTY of refugees after Katrina??? You're right though… its HORRIBLE! I live near Houston, so we got tons more than you I can guarantee, but the kind of people we got gives Louisiana a bad name.
Hope everyone in Louisiana who isn't evacuating stays safe. I think they said like 90% of South Louisiana residents evacuated. For the people talking bad about the Lousiana residents 'CHOOSING' to live in a hurricane place, it really doesn't matter where you live in the country there's tornadoes, blizzards and all kinds of dangerous weather around the US. I'm 20 years old and live in SOUTHWEST LOUISIANA and the first time I ever even experienced any kind of hurricane weather wasn't until I was in my mid teens. I'm not evacuating for Hurricane Gustav and several of my family members and neighbors are staying as well.
It is sad how Hurricane Rita was "The Forgotten Storm" because everyone focuses on Hurricane Katrina. Hurricane Rita hit only 3 weeks after Hurricane Katrina and it was the most intense storm in the Gulf of Mexico breaking the record set by Katrina 3 weeks before that. In Cameron Parish, Louisiana it was pretty much completely destroyed. As in only 1 building was left standing and that was city hall.
Its 8:48 am. Its just starting to come in. The winds are getting pretty crazy. Will probably lose power in a couple of minutes. Not supposed to be as bad as they thought Thank God!! Will check back later. Thank everyone for their prayers. Oh, and by the way I CHOOSE to live here because its HOME!!!
Re: Anonymous – Thank you!! Fortunately, I live in a brick house in Baton Rouge where it doesn't flood. Our electricity is going in and out though and I just got soaked outside. Thanks for your thoughts and prayers and for listening to me
Re: getonthestagekate – seriously, no complaints over here! i'm glad he's our governor this time around
thanks everyone! im from new orleans and i have been dealing with rricanes my whole life! i hope we make it through this one! i am praying for everyone!
xoxo
God save New Orleans.
RE: SARAHNOLA You're right I should choose my words more carefully and be more sensitive towards others. As I said before I didn't mean for my comment to sound like I'm only blaming Katrina survivors for our crime, etc. I don't wish any of you ill will. I've received a lot of comments explaining why people don't leave so now I understand, thank you.
FOR THE RECORD I DO NOT SIDE WITH "BITCH PLEASE!" - now I know why my comment offended so many because I came dangerously close to sounding like that idiot. I wasn't generalizing a certain race but I see how I was misunderstood. I am sorry to those that I offended. BTW this will be my last post on the subject.
I live on the Gulf Coast, 28 miles inland from Galveston, and I wouldn't think of leaving this place. Yes, hurricanes are a part of our lives, but everyone has something to deal with. Crazzy the blatant stereotypes you profess make me wonder what kind of person you are. Every city has crime, bad drivers, clogged freeways! And, BTW Texas is a great place to live, and if the people of New Orleans choose to call TX their home, then we welcome them with open arms because THAT'S what you do for your neighbors! To all of the Gulf Coast areas, I understand what you go through when deciding what to take and what to leave during an evacuation. I evacuated during Rita, and the things that I saw are still vivid in my mind as we rushed to leave everything behind. I am praying for all of you! God Bless the Gulf Coast areas!
God saved New Orleans but Baton Rouge (my city) is DEVASTATED!!! Please send help?
I live in SE LA, and I'm finally getting my electricity back. I'm one of the lucky ones. It's a shame, with all of the devastation that it still caused LA, you don't hear much about it on the national front, because it wasn't New Orleans that got devastated. Gustav has caused more damage to the state than Katrina, but since New Orleans was spared, everything's alright. It's no different than when, after Katrina, all you heard about was New Orleans, but the entire gulf coast looked like a war zone. If you weren't from the gulf coast, you would think that they were the only ones affected. The Mississippi gulf coast was completely destroyed, but ask anyone about Katrina, and New Orleans is the rage. Yea, New Orleans was in horrible shape, but they weren't the only ones; however, it was the only place really covered by the media after the storm. Even before Gustav, all you heard about was New Orleans, and how they may be affected…there are other places in Louisiana besides New Orleans.